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[forwardlooking]

I don't think that the problem was with Applebee's coming to Arab or with progress in Arab.  The problem was with the tax giveaways to QRC, the franchiser.   

The existing restaurants said that if they want to compete fairly they are welcome in Arab and the existing restaurants thought that they would be able to compete with them, but giving them no property tax and also kickbacks on sales tax was not fair competition. 

I'm concerned that with our city struggling financially and our city school money coming from property tax and sales tax that it would hurt us in the long run to start giving tax money away.  If a restaurant or business wants to come to Arab, they should contribute their fair share, not take away.

[Common Sense]

Taking the Applebee's proposal off the table was good news for business and residents.  There are at least 30 existing restaurants in the Arab area.  I'm sure that we won't starve while we take a few steps back and examine how we can learn from this.

And no more secrets.  Arab citizens and our city council should demand open negotiations on all city business.  There are ways to discuss concepts while protecting confidentiality concerns.


 

[SOA_Wes]

From Arab-Today.com

  Motel Chain Says No
After Applebee's Pull Out

February 29, 2008
A national motel chain that had planned to locate near the proposed Applebee's restaurant has also decided  to pull out according to Sammy Waldrop.  Waldrop said he was notified by email this morning of the decision.  Waldrop declined to identify the name of the motel chain due to confidentiality commitments.

Waldrop, who was disappointed with the news, said the motel management made the decision after learning of the opposition to the QRC proposal and the subsequent abandonment of their restaurant project. Waldrop said he was also very disappointed with the loss of the Applebee's restaurant after devoting more than nine months trying to get QRC to consider coming to Arab.

What's up with that?  What "National Motel Chain" follows Applebees?  I think this is nothing but a big bunch of nothing.  Since when can city employees take part in confidential business matters?  Doesn't that create an unfair advantage for other companies?

Something stinks to high heaven at city hall.

[abc123]

It reminds me of SuperWalmart putting Piggly Wiggly and Food World out of business after being in our community all these years.

[Common Sense]

Has anyone mentioned that Mayor Cox admitted that his brother was the QRC representative's room mate in college.  Rah, rah!  And one individual serving on both the Industrial Development Board and Commercial Development Authority stood to gain a nice profit from the land sale for the Applebee's location.  Can anyone say "conflict of interest"?

[Grumpys]

Who is the person on the CDA?

[Common Sense]

Roger Isom.  Other CDA members are Nancy Stewart of Regions Bank and Alan Bagwell, a Huntsville accountant.  Essentially, CDA members are the same members of the Arab Industrial Development Board.

[abraham lincoln]

As a reply to LSY55, Try imagining a restaurant coming to town.  A national chain restaurant, like the old Howard Johnsons.  Now you are in the restaurant business here and you mortgaged your house and got your wife and sister in law to work for you, and you build up a good business.  Now ho-jo's, or Applebee's comes to town. This is a chain that has two thousand restaurants across the country and a bottom line that runs into the many millions of dollars.  Our city government grants them unfair tax advantages that save them hundreds of thousands, while the so-called mom and pop restaurant loses not all their customers, but the ones who can afford to pay $15.00 per customer as they do at Applebee's.  The profit margin for mom and pop is gone, they go out of business, losing their homes and accumulated lifetime savings, and mom, pop, sister in law, and the other ten people that wait tables, bus tables, wash dishes and cleanup the place all lose their jobs.  Meanwhile, Applebee's, able to tap into city tax payer dollars, does well for the first year, then peaks and eventually decides to close because eaters would rather go to Huntsville so they can get a beer with their food, and we here in Arab have not lost just one but several restaurants, all because the big chain was lured here and supported by your and my tax dollars whether we can afford to eat in their restaurant, or not.  Instead of a win-win, it is a lose-lose for our community.  When we have the right conditions to support a chain restaurant, such as demographics and legal alcohol sales, then they will come with no need for public tax support.